Spellbound
by Dinahmite64
Summary: Eddie, Melody, Pad, and Fiona go on a vacation, but what sort of terrors will they encounter there? It all begins with a little argument, some harsh words, and a mysterious fishing hole. Melody x Pad
1. Chapter 1: Stress and Tensions

SPELLBOUND

*NOTE: This is a fanfiction of the game _Nostalgia_ for the DS. (As well as my first fanfiction! Woooh!) It contains the pairing Melody x Pad, just because they're awesome. If you have sensitivities to this pairing, there is one simple thing you can do; don't read. Otherwise, please feel free to enjoy and have a wonderful day! :)

* * *

Episode 1: Stress and Tensions

It was a hot day in Rio de Janeiro, and Eddie, Pad, Melody, and Fiona were sitting around on the beach, taking in some sun. Fiona was anjoying herself a vanilla sundae, and Melody was enjoying herself reading her Necronomicon in the hopes of discovering new spells to blast those Goblins and other beasts with. Her attention was drifted away when a shadow hung over her pages, causing the text to fade into the shade.

"I can't even read this crap." the discerning voice announced. "What are those weird symbols 'n stuff?"

Fiona announced to the angry, red-faced Melody; "I don't think Pad can read runes."

"Well, good for him!" Melody exclaimed. "Does it look like I give a rat's spawn whether he can read it or not? Heck, I didn't even think he could read, period."

"Don't be like that, you guys." Eddie waltzed over. "We're on vacation. The Cabal is dead, and the Gate to Asgard is sealed. Why can't we all just relax and take a breather?" He walked over to Pad and gave him a tap on the shoulder. "Come on, Pad, why don't we go fishing with dad?"

Pad wrenched himself away from Eddie. "Yeh! Sure! Great! Anything to get away from _her_." He jabbed his finger at Melody, who was busy picking dirt out of her fingernails to care. He stormed off behind Eddie to go and join Gilbert near the fishing hole in the woods.

Melody looked behind her to make sure he was going so she wouldn't have to..._send_ him away with a spell. "Fiona, these men are too much. One acts like a complete gentleman, with concern to women's feelings, and the other acts like an ape towards anything and everything. He deserves to burn." Fiona shook her head, and Melody took note of this. "Oh, come on, Fiona! Try and tell me that he doesn't get on _your_ nerves! Try it!"

"Actually, no, he do-"

"Don't do it, Fiona! I'm not in the mood for it. Not today. Today..." Melody began to contemplate. "I'm in the mood to do something fun-something wild, crazy, even." She looked back to see if Pad was sneaking around, but to no avail. He had disappeared with the shadows of the forest minutes ago.

"You were looking for Pad just now!" Fiona blurted out loud. "You want to spend time with Pad, don't you?" she giggled. "You just have trouble expressing yourself."

Melody's face turned red as a tomato. "And you're blushing, too." Fiona exclaimed. "It's very cute on you."

"I AM NOT BLUSHING!" Melody lashed. "It's just...hot. Yeah, hot. The sun's hot, the air's... hot..." An image of Pad shirtless appeared in her head, but she shook it off. "and it's just very, very hot. And I'm a redhead. A ginger. Yeah, we burn easy, okay?"

"Doesn't your large witch hat give you shade?" asked Fiona, suspiciously.

"Fiona..."

To be safe, Fiona ducked and covered her head.

"Shut up."

_Phew._ Fiona was sure she had begun to feel her body ravaged in flames for a second. But deep down she knew Melody couldn't be _that _harsh... could she?

A few seconds passed, and Fiona finished up her ice cream sundae, and lay back, stretching out in satisfaction, throwing her raven hair behind her. "Well, I think I'll go for a swim, Melody."

"In your priestess gown?" Melody looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, I think I'll go swimsuit shopping, Melody." She got up, dusting the sand off her dress. "Care to join me?  
"Nah, I think I'm good." Melody said. "I just discovered this spell, **Thundarna**, which will allow me to blast lightning from my wand. I think I'll practice it."

"Suit yourself." Fiona said, walking towards town. Melody began to practice the spell almost as soon as Fiona left, successfully blasting lightning up into the sky, and successfully scaring off the other people on the beach. It had gotten so bad, that Melody had to run and hide, as the people were spouting things like "She's a witch!" ad "Let's burn her at the stake!"

{MEANWHILE}

"Hey, Pad! My dad just caught a Saltwater Pike! 23.7 inches! That's sure to win the contest!" Eddie exclaimed. Pad tossed his mini Sunfish back into the water. He thought that finally having peace and quiet away from the raving moronic witch woman would make him happy, but he couldn't seem to get into the swing of fishing.

He leaned against the tree, rod in hand, and suddenly, he got a massive hit! He didn't expect that, and it nearly pulled him into the water! Gilbert came running over, and grabbed Pad around the waist. "Eddie, help us! Heave!" They all began to pull as hard as their human strength would allow them, and Gilbert slipped and fell backwards on Eddie, knocking them both out.

As misfortune would have it, Pad was dragged into the water. While under the water, he finally got to see what was trying so hard to pull him in-a Mermaid! "Why is there a mermaid in the river ponds of Rio di Janeiro?" he thought to himself. He then noticed that he was being dragged into a luscious underwater kingdom, filled with Merfolk, stingrays, sharks, flounders, octopi, and many different aquatic species. Strangely enough as well, he could breathe.

"Where are they taking me?" Pad wondered, as the mermen stared at him very sternly.

"To a very special place," a feminine voice called out to him, almost melodiously. "to my home."

Pad gulped.

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2: Melody's Oceanic Struggle

SPELLBOUND

Melody was beginning to worry. She had lost the crowd of people, but was currently trying to hide from some Priests who had been called out to search by the Church. "Damn it, " she whined. "this is _my_ vacation... why do I have to hide like a rat?"

Suddenly, a loud scream had arosen from the fishing pond. "That sounded like Pad!" She began to panic, and ran as fast as her dainty legs would take her into the forest. She saw Eddie and Gilbert lying unconscious, and she had arrived just in time to see Pad's head sink into the water. Her blood went cold. _No-! _She began to panic. She grabbed hold of her hat's rim and dove into the water after Pad.

_Please don't let him be dead, please don't let him be dead_, she was thinking as she held her breath and swam under traps and torrents of coral. The seaweed brushed across her face, and tiny fish slapped her sides with their fins, making her feel very uncomfortable. She gazed around, her blue eyes reflecting the rippling waves, and ears peeled for the slightest _fwoop_, a sound that would confirm whether or not Pad was being whisked by any time soon.

She was running low on air, her face beginning to match the ocean's colour. _Just a little more, Melody..._ she thought._ I can smell that bastard from here. _

Her eyes widened in panic as a Shark zoomed towards her to take a chunk of her head. She performed what would later be known to herself as the 'Melody Farklight-style Barrell Roll' and narrowly dodged certain death. She wanted to blast the overgrown mackerel with Thundarna, but she realized that she had to say the spell out loud, which probably wasn't such a good idea right now. The shark looped around for a second try, but Melody was having none of it. She did, however, smack the shark in the nose with her Eterna rod, causing it to become disoriented, and swim away, as it no longer wanted Kentucky Fried Mage.

_Stupid shark, _she thought to herself. _nobody can outclass Melody Farklight! If Hartmann, Terra, and the cabal couldn't, no stupid shark can! _An image of Pad came into her drowning mind. She surely was done for now; with no oxygen to sustain her, she closed her eyes and collapsed to the sea floor with the thought. _The ocean, the ocean... outclassed Melody... not... Pad..._

Suddenly, Melody thrusted herself upward, taking a gasp of air. She coughed up the remaining water from her lungs. She looked around at a lovely golden room with glass walls. "I... I'm alive." she wondered. "I have to be. There's no way I'd get into heaven."

A Stingray merman approached her. "Ah, so you're awake, land woman."

Melody whipped her head around. "What the hell are you?!"

"Very polite of you." The stingray man said sarcastically. "I am Sting III, the steward of this castle."

"Yeah, and...?"

"And you are a trespasser!" Sting III proclaimed. "You are lucky that we haven't fried you on a grill."

"Are you serious?" Melody said. "I'm not a trespasser! I'm looking for a certain moron who was yanked down here."

"Oh, you mean the black-haired fellow with the gun."

"Aha! So he is here!" Melody leaped up. "Where is he?"

"That is none of your concern."

"Are you deaf? I just said that I was looking for him!" Melody cried, angrily. "Of course he's my concern!"

"Is he your husband?"

Melody began to blush. "No! No! Absolutely not! I wouldn't want him as one, either! He is just too stupid and obnoxious, and he snores-uhh, he stinks! Stinks! Not snores!" Her face was red as blood.

"Quite." Sting III said, walking towards the door. "Look, the high council is currently deciding your fates. Enjoy life as it is right now in this room, as for now you are safe. Ah, and I do reccommend you eat the shrimp. It is awfully delicious."

With that, he closed the door behind him.

"I hate fish people..." Melody remarked, as she pushed the shrimp away from her and lied back on the mattress. "They think they're soooo smart! Them and Ixitxichitls... damn, they're the worst. They use magic."

She began to think of Pad, and worry. As a result, for the meantime, she blocked his face out of her mind. Out of sight, out of mind. No worries.


	3. Chapter 3: Truth hits like a Bullet

SPELLBOUND

Pad was finishing up his Shrimp cocktail. "So, Aria," he said to the mermaid lady. "how long has this kingdom existed, anyway?" With a giggle, Aria replied "Oh, not that long; only for the past 200 years... we immigrated here from the Eastern Oceans when the humans sunk the village to the ground."

"Ohhh..." Pad exclaimed gravely. "Yeah, sorry we did that. Humans are real trash sometimes..."

The mermaid paused her grievous expression and suddenly beamed. "Oh, but you're okay, Paddykins!"

"Yeah, about that nickname... I don't think I wanna go through wit' that, y'know? 'Paddykins' doesn't sound like me." Pad wiped his mouth on his arm. "In fact, it sounds kinda... pansy."

Aria laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I must've gotten carried away." She walked over to a painting on the wall. "Hey, Pad. Do you know who this is?"

Pad noticed the crown on the bearded fish man's head. "King Poseidon, right?"

"You're good." Aria said. "This is my father. He was the king of the sea. He passed away of Oil poisoning..."

"Wow, humans _do_ suck."

"...And now I'm supposed to become the Queen in his stead, but to do that," she walked over to Pad and put her arms around the back of his neck. "I need a king."

Pad accidentally spit up some of his Shrimp on her. "Ugh! No way! Uh-uh! No! Never! Nyet! Nay! Non! Ie! An' how many other times I kin say it in any language; _NO_!"

"I thought you'd disagree..." Aria said slyly, wiping the shrimp remnants off of her face, walking back towards Pad, grabbing him and smooching him. Suddenly, Pad began to fall into a trance. His consciousness began to slip to the bottom of his own personal trenches. The last thing he thought before completely falling under the Siren's spell was "Melody... Melody... Only you... only you own my heart... Melody..."

Aria laughed. The oceanic sorceress had Pad completely dominated under her mermaid spell. Now she could do anything she wanted with him.

Sting III entered the room. "So, milady, have you decided what you're going to do to the trespassers?"

Aria turned around. "OOOOOOOH, Sting! You interrupted my evil thoughts!" she then looked into his eyes and realized how persistent he was. "Fine, very well. Bring the other one in. This had better be good."

As Melody was being ported in, Aria heard her yelling in protest and the sounds of explosions going on from out in the hallway. Se saw the wall light up bright orange and fish people running and screaming for their lives as the hostile little witch was eventually subdued and dragged into the throne room on her face.

Sting III looked into Melody's furious eyes as two mermen wielding silver tridents dragged her in and she lifted her face off the floor. Blood ran from her nose and mixed with mucus and tears rolling down her cheeks. Her wand remained in her hand and was smoking, but Melody had clearly worn herself out from the magic show she had caused outside.

"So, you must be the other troublemaker." Aria said. "Are you a friend of Pad's by any chance?"

Melody instantly felt a dagger shoot through her heart. She broke out in cold sweat. "P-Pad? Pad's here! I was right! I'm always right! A Farklight is never wrong! Tell me where he is, you bastards!"

Aria broke out in mad laughter. "Pad's right here, darling! You can call out to him, but I don't think anybody's home at the moment." She then stepped aside, revealing a tranced Pad.

"Pad!" Melody cried. "Thank God it's you! You're okay!"

Pad remained silent.

"Well, numbskull, aren't you going to thank me for going through all this trouble coming to find you?" Melody demanded. She could not notice the vacant look in the Gunslinger's eyes. "Hel-loooo!" she called out to him from afar, standing back up on two feet. Her knees were wobbly and she couldn't stand right. Her head was swimming as a consequence of her underwater ballet with the shark earlier. "PAD, ARE YOU DEAF?!"

Pad remained neutral.

Melody turned to Aria. "You bitch! I know you did something to Pad! You put him under an Aether spell! Damn you to hell!"

"Young lady, you have quite the mouth on you." the fishwoman said, twirling her fingers through her lime green hair. "I believe someone should do something about it."

"If I told you what I believed about _you_, you'd maime me." Melody snarkly replied with a smirk.

"Oh, you aren't too short of that one, you repulsive little girl." Aria mocked. "Honestly, he wouldn't even want to be with someone as mousey-looking as you."

Melody repulsed backward.

"Yes, I do believe somebody should do something about an ugly little redhead like you..." She turned to look at Pad, who was now raising his gun. "Wouldn't you agree, Paddykins?"

Melody went white. She noticed Pad with his gun immediately. "No..." she denied.

"Yes." mocked Aria gleefully.

"No."

"Yes."

"NO!"

"YEEEEEES!"

A tear streamed down Pad's left cheek from his vacant eyes.

The last sound heard from the room on the outside was a loud "BANG!".

Melody's tiny frame collapsed to the floor. She felt something very sharp piercing her abdomen. She looked up, blood streaking down her chin from her mouth at Pad, who was beginning to cry, as she was as well. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes told all. Melody wrenched her stomach with her left hand and grabbed her Rod with her right hand. Her fingers clasping it firmly to remediate the pain in her stomach. The world around her became silent and she slipped from her rod and fell into the cold embrace of darkness.

Aria laughed triumphantly and called in Sting III. "Throw this little shit into the dungeon to rot." Sting III signaled for the bodyguards to come back in and retrieve Melody's dying body. They did as they were instructed by the wicked sea queen. "Now," Aria went on. "time to plan for our wedding."

As the mermen carried Melody away, a trail of blood leaked along the marble floors of the palace, which some Ixitxichitls magically swept up after.

This had to be the worst day of Melody's life.


	4. Chapter 4: Waking Up To a Nasty Surprise

SPELLBOUND

Eddie and Gilbert were dazed. Gilbert had the energy to return to his feet, and Eddie sat up straight, messing his spiky blond hair to put it back in place. Fiona loomed over him with a white glow around her, dimming to nothing. She had just healed them.

"Pad..." Eddie murmured. "Where's Pad? Last I saw, a fishlike thing was pulling him into the lake..."

"A cursed Sea siren it was!" Gilbert exclaimed, pounding his fist upright onto his open palm. "I caught a glimpse of it... it seemed to have seaweed green hair and blueish skin...? Yeah, Skin, I guess we could call it."

"A Sea siren?" Fiona asked, clutching her staff upright with both hands. "What would it want with Pad?"

"_She_." Gilbert corrected. "probably wants what all Mermaids want-a man slave."

"Dad, don't be dirty, now..." Eddie scolded.

"Eddie!" Gilbert exclaimed. "Didn't Margaret teach you better than that?"

"Well, when you travel around a lot, you... learn things..." Eddie rubbed the back of his head in shame.

Fiona sighed. "Well, that's an interesting thought... a fishwoman kidnapped Pad because she wants him to be a sex slave..."

"No, no, NO!" Gilbert yelled. "Will you bloody teenagers get your mind out of the gutter for just ONE minute?"

"I'm sorry, dad." Eddie apologized with utmost sincerity. "We aren't trying to be. Just... please elaborate, if you will."

"Yes, please." Fiona replied with agreement and shame.

"Anyway..." Gilbert went on. "A mermaid often abducts a human man to be her slave, tending to her every whim, serving her until his body can handle no more and break apart."

"That's horrible!" Fiona exclaimed. "But what man would be foolish enough to do this?"

"A man under the Siren's spell!" Gilbert replied. "A Spellbound man."

"A Spellbound man..." Eddie parroted. "Wait, can't Fiona remove curses?"

"Yes, and we have Curse dolls, too, in case she should try it on us!" Fiona beamed with joy.

"But Fiona," Gilbert turned to her. "you don't have to worry. The Siren's Spell falls upon only the ears of _men_. Not women."

Fiona nodded. "Well, it's a good thing I'm not affected, because you need my Holy powers. I shudder to imagine them being used by the wrong hands."

"Technically, they'd still be in _your_ hands." Eddie contradicted.

"Okay," Fiona rethought her dramatic sentence. "I shudder to imagine them being used for the _wrong reasons_."

"Hey, I just realized." Gilbert exclaimed.

"That Mars bars are made on Earth?" Fiona threw in a joke. Eddie began to chuckle as his father began to blush.

"Really?" asked Gilbert. "Amazing! I must record this in my Adventurer's Handbook!" He pulled out his journal an dbegan to write this down. He closed the book, and put it behind his back, causing it to disappear in a way that nobody who plays RPGs could ever figure out. After doing this, he pondered his thoughts and remembered what it was that he had realized before. "Ah, yes! Where's the little Witch girl?"

"Melody?" Fiona asked.

"No, Alphaba." Gilbert replied sarcastically. "The girl with the orangey-brown hair and the blue hat and moppy dress and magician's cape. Where is she?"

"Melody and Pad had a small fight earlier," Eddie replied, rubbing the back of his head. "i-it's nothing too unusual. Just this time, I'm not sure what it was about."

"It had something to do with her Spell book." Fiona replied.

"Oh." Eddie said, unimpressed.

"Melody is a huge hypocrite," Fiona began to divulge. "if I were to guess what happened, she was upset, she heard Pad scream or something, and she went in after him. She's also very proud, so she would go in without telling us, because she believes she could handle it herself."

"Well," Gilbert concluded. "now we have TWO people to save! Let's get a move on!"

Eddie looked at him puzzled. "You mean we're going to swim down there? What if we get killed? And, our attacks are hindered by water, and-"

"Eddie, isn't it about time you trust your old man entirely?" Gilbert replied, pointing towards a submarine.

Eddie and Fiona gaped at the beautiful machine, and then at each other. At the machine, and at Gilbert, who was climbing on board.

"I call it the HYDRO-MAVERICK! All abooooaaaard!"

As the two finished staring, they immediately ran towards it, Eddie jumping on board, and pulling Fiona up by the arms. The ship submerged and its motor began to turn.


	5. Chapter 5: My Fiona Lies Over The Ocean

SPELLBOUND

The Hydro-Maverick was sailing through the murky water like a Naval Torpedo. There was nothing to see in the waters that were not small fish and octopi. Of course, the rest of the water was thick and foggy, so they could see nothing within 5 feet of the submarine. Gilbert kept his eyes in front and Eddie was manning the torpedo launcher, keeping a sharp eye for Ixitxachitls, Sharks, or any other malicious creatures that could possibly attack. Fiona was at the Orb of the submarine, getting ready to heal damages. The underwater cannon and mine launcher were unoccupied, as two members of the party were on... sick leave, we could say.

Fiona was falling asleep due to the relaxing waves and gentle current of the aquatic world, prompting Eddie to yell for her attention several times, reminding her of the dangers they could face at any given moment. However, Eddie himself began to feel tired, as well as Gilbert, but not due to the sea-but rather-something _in_ the sea. They heard the enchanting voice of a beautiful woman. They were struggling to stay awake. Fiona was woken up entirely to the sound of bloodcurling shrieks. She covered her ears.

"What IS that?" Fiona cried. "It sounds horrible! Eddie! Mr. Brown! What-"

"Fiona..." Eddie replied, with vacant eyes. "Why... don't you just... shut up...?" He withdrew his sword, and Gilbert did, as well.

Fiona cringed. Suddenly, she realized what was going on. "The Siren spell!" She looked around wildly, trying to locate the source. Outside the window, in what looked like pea soup, she saw a shadow whisk by. The shadow looked human, but she could swear the feet were webbed. It also wielded a trident.

Her heart skipped a beat when this distraction caused her to drop her guard a split second, allowing Eddie's sword to cut part of her hair. _Thank God,_ she thought. _Thank God that he isn't as skilled as usual when he's under a trance._

Fiona began to pray for a Miracle. The Miracle of **Cure**. She casted this, and Eddie dodged it.

"A 1-in-50 chance of missing an attack and it has to be right now?" Fiona yelled out loud, panicking.

Gilbert went ahead of Eddie and attacked Fiona using **Dividing heaven**. Fiona received the hit, but due to a last- minute block, managed to survive. Seeing Eddie, her lover, coming at her with sword in hand, made her feel like her heaven was divided. She had pondered using **Holy Bell**, but at this point 3 of the 4 partners were out of play, making it impossible. Fiona felt as though she was out of miracles.

The white priestess made up her mind and unleashed a Holy spell; **Lumierana**, which caused two beams of light to release from heaven and clash both Edward and Gilbert.

Eddie rebounded with his **Combo Attack**, causing Fiona massive damage. She stumbled backwards, and used a healing technique on herself, causing all the bleeding slash wounds to close up and vanish. She looked to the latch of the submarine. Knowing that she could not win this fight, she opened the hatch, allowing water to unleash, and she retreated out of the submarine. Hydro-Maverick began to sink, and Eddie and Gilbert swam out of it.

Fiona held her breath and looked around at the schools of fish and opaque water. Suddenly, the mermaid sprang up and shrieked in Fiona's face, causing her to pass out. The mermaid then ordered Eddie and Gilbert to bring Fiona into their palace to be thrown into the prison cell. Complying, they dragged their friend through the calm waves. Fiona's mind had wandered off into the murk, as well.


	6. Chapter 6: A Friend In Need

SPELLBOUND

Melody lied on the cold, hard stone floor of the dungeon. Her blood was continuing to spill from the bullet wound in her stomach, as well as from her mouth. "Is this what my mother died for?" she murmured weakly. "For me to one day die in a crummy place like this? _I don't think so._" She pressed her palms into the floor, pushing herself upwards, but her hand slipped over her blood, causing her to lose balance and splash in the growing puddle. "Sorry, mom."

She lay there still for a while longer, an image of the soulless-looking Pad haunting her thoughts. "WHY do I keep thinking of that jerk?" She came up once again, taking care not to slip, but the tremendous pain that distorted her senses persisted on. She wanted none of it, though. "That mermaid..." she scoffed. "is much uglier than I am. (Grunt!) At least I don't need to use magic to captivate Pad, as ironic as it- (Grunt!)-sounds!" She reached in her pocket, hoping to find a Silver chalice, as she was sure she should be dead by this point. She wanted to hold it in front of her lips so that if she were to collapse and die, perhaps the sacred fluid in it would seep down her throat, restoring her to life.

She found one. Only one. A Silver chalice that they had saved for when things got really messy. To Melody's mind, looking at the puddle of blood below her would certainly count as 'messy'. Her blue dress was tainted with a warm, gooey scarlet fluid that reeked of iron. _Yeah, that's pretty messy._ she thought, holding the chalice to her lips.

Suddenly, the door sprang open. Eddie and Gilbert tossed Fiona into the cell.

"VERMIN!" Melody cried out, turning around to see them. "Oh... Eddie, Gilbert, are you here to save m-" She was cut off, as she noticed Fiona at her feet, also bathing in her blood. Melody's vision began to blur, but she refused it. She lifted her hand as a gesture for help, but they closed the door, locked it behind them and marched off to the throne room.

Melody lay back down in her blood, continuing to press her belly against the floor, as it eased the vicious tearing pain somewhat. Fiona's eyes sprang open, and she released a hard-earned gasp of air. Her miracles hadn't run out, it would seem, and neither did Melody's.

"Fi...ona..." Melody called out, weakly. "Fiona... help... me..."

Fiona's eyes shot open at the gruesome sight. "Melody! Omigosh! I was right! I knew you'd do it! It was so obvious!"

"What're you...talking about...feather...brain...?" Melody squeaked out of her throat.

"I knew you loved Pad!" Fiona said, standing up, towering above her. "I KNEW you'd be the first one to look for him!"

"..."

"See? Don't you feel so much better now that it's out in the open, Melody?"

"So is my bullet wound!" Melody mustered up the energy to give Fiona shit. "HEAL ME ALREADY! Please, I can't stand it any more!" Immediately after this, she began to cough up blood.

Fiona bent close to her cautiously. She felt empty when she saw the bullet hole in Melody's dress. "What's happening to our party?" Fiona choked. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner, Melody..."

"It's not your fault..." Melody cringed from pain. She saw an opportunity to get a shot in. "you were only out buying a skimpy swimsuit..." she gave a painful smirk, blood running down the corner of her mouth, dripping onto Fiona's hand, as she was trying to open Melody's dress.

Fiona frowned. "It's a one-piece." She opened the front of Melody's dress, revealing the bullet wound. Melody continued to smirk after a painful grunt. "Enjoying the view?" she teased.

"Don't talk." Fiona warned. "It's the worst thing for you right now."

Melody rolled her eyes and bobbed her head from side to side.

Fiona's eyes began to water. "Did Pad..."

Melody looked away.

"Melody..."

Melody continued to remain silent.

"Answer me! Did Pad..."

Melody held her index finger in front of her lips and released a silent "Sssh..." and pointed at herself.

Fiona rolled her eyes. "Attitude. You really don't change." She wiped some tears from her eyes and choked down a sob. "Pad _did_ do this. Damn it. These mermaids are evil."

"TOTALLY!" Melody broke her vow of silence, only to cringe in more pain. She repulsed backwards, and spat up a massive amount of blood.

"Melody!" Fiona cried in concern. "She put her hand behind her friend's head, and noticed the tears forming in Melody's blue eyes. These were either caused by the pain, the trauma of the blood coming up her throat, or the fact that Pad inflicted it.

Fiona put her hand on Melody's abdomen, and muttered something in a mysterious language. This sent a fiery pain throughout Melody's body. Refusing to scream, Melody gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, squeezing them. The pain was so intense that veins in Melody's neck began to spring out and her face turned a crimson red. Fiona wasn't stopping, and withing a minute the pain intensified, until the bullet finally popped out of her gut, and rebounded on the floor, covered in blood and some body acid.

Melody and Fiona looked at it, and Fiona held Melody's head up before she could pass out backwards. She kept her left hand on her belly, and muttered another arcane spell, causing Melody's wound to heal. Melody felt relaxed and softened. The pain stopped entirely, and she sighed with relief.

Fiona sat backwards, releasing Melody's head, as she was sure she wasn't going to faint at this point. Fiona, however, had felt quite drained of her white magic. She too had begun to breathe intensively.

"Thanks for one of the worst experiences in my life..." Melody spat angrily. Her face then became a little calmer. "And thanks for oe of the best reliefs I've ever gotten..."

"Your welcome..." Fiona said, pulling out a Moon Jewel, restoring her energy. She pulled out another one. "Need one?"

Melody shook her head. "Nah, I'm good." She stood up and flailed her arms out angrily. "What I wouldn't give right now to blast the shit out of that Merbitch!"

"These merfolk are troublesome, aren't they?" Fiona announced. "One put Eddie and Mr. Brown under her charm and coerced them into attacking me when we were on our way to rescue you and Pad."

"Dirty bastards!" Melody exclaimed, whipping around, facing the wall and turning back to Fiona. "You know what the Queen Merbitch did to me?!"

"She got Pad to shoot you." Fiona stated. "Yes, I know. I hope you're feeling okay."

"Oh, I'm fine!" Melody stated proudly. "You healed me just now, remember?" She picked up the bullet and began to examine it. "Heh." She dropped it on the floor and watched it roll under the prison bench. "I'm somewhat thankful that she didn't know about Pad's **Buster Shot**." She giggled behind her hand. "Now, THAT would have hurt."

"Yeah..." Fiona agreed, but felt sorry for Melody, who was clearly hiding her distress. "Well, Melody, there is nothing we can do at the moment, so why not take a rest in here?"

Melody immediately jumped on the one prison bench. "Good night, Fiona."

"Hey!" Fiona shouted. "WHy do YOU get the bench and _I_ get the floor?"

"Because." Melody replied snarkily. "_I'm_ the one who spent the past two hours lying on a cold, hard, bloody floor."

Fiona scoffed, and lay on the floor. As she glanced up to the ceiling, she had the image of Eddie, Pad and Gilbert worn to the bone, their bodies breaking down from the lack of sleep and over-exertion. A worried shudder escaped he rlips. She glanced over at Melody on the bench, who had her back turned. She saw Melody shiver slightly.

A shiver of fear.

Fiona followed suit, and closed her eyes and rested her head on her hands.


	7. Chapter 7: The Nightmare Begins With You

SPELLBOUND

Aria sat upon her golden throne and Pad sat beside her, Gilbert and Eddie stood against the wall on the east end of the throne room, still in their trances, of course. Sting III thought it to be appropriate to enter.

"Milady," he asked. "why this pitiful human and not a merfolk such as yourself?"

"The Mermen in this Kingdom are ugly." Aria replied. "I caught a glimpse of this handsome fisherman and went in for the grabs. I couldn't help it."

"You desire him as your king? As _our_ king?" asked Sting III, nervously.

Aria nodded and clasped her hands together. "Yes! Absolutely!"

"What's so special about this man?" Sting III asked out of curiosity. "He looks pretty homely to me."

"You wouldn't understand because you aren't a woman!" Aria scolded. "I _know_ that Paddykins is my soul mate! I know it because I want him, don't I?"

"That is a horrible sense of logic, ma'am." Sting III said. "You should choose your king wisely. Choose him for his... _wisdom, practicality, intelligence_..." He brushed his own cheek with the fingers of his hand. "Someone akin to your... _loyal_, I may add- _advisor_."

"Are you suggesting I marry an old geezer like _you_, Sting?"

Those cold words stung the Stingray worse than his own barbed tail could ever sting her for saying it. "No... just in theory." He replied, broken-hearted.

"Good." Aria replied, lifting herself off her throne with a violent thrust of anger. "I thought I might have had to have you executed for blasphemy a second there."

"But what you're doing is scandalous, milady!" Sting III cried out. "A mermaid is not allowed to marry a human man! It goes against everything our people have stood for for centuries!" He thrusted his arms up into the air. "It's one thing to hypnotize a man and turn him into your slave, but when you try to marry him into Oceanic royalty, you not only disrespect your ancestors and your father-who died of an oil spill at their hands, I might add- but you will also soil the royal bloodline with human genes!"

"You forget that we were once inbred with human genes in a lab created by the Ancient Father's Cabal in its starting years over 6,000 years ago." Aria added in. "What's your point?"

"My point is that I cannot allow this!" Sting III pulled the barb from his tail and pointed it at Pad. "I will pierce him! It is the only way to end this madness!"

"IMPERIAL GUARDS!" Aria cried out. "ARREST THIS TRAITOR! THROW HIM INTO THE PRISON WITH THE TWO NUISANCES!"

Suddenly, three hulking mermen came floating over, their fishlike tails flailing in the air, contrary to most of the other merfolk in the kingdom. They wore silver armour with plated coral on the chest area, and helmets that covered their scaly faces, only revealing their intimidating red eyes. One crossed his trident in front of Sting III and the other two each grabbed one of the Stingray man's arms.

"Milady!" Sting III cried out. "YOU'RE MAKING A BIG MISTAKE!" And with that, he was carried off, the mermen slamming the throne room's gigantic door behind them.

"What a pitiable fool." Aria proclaimed. She walked up to Pad and held his face in her hands. "My darling Paddykins..." she said, honey dripping from her tone. "Would you rather go with your foolish friends, or would you not rather stay with me and rule in this beautiful utopian kingdom forever?"

Pad, although in a trance, shook his head to this as a response. He could, you see, hear and see everything that is going on, but cannot reply or control his actions. His will to regroup with his friends at this point was beginning to triumph over the Siren spell. Most of all, however, he wanted to see Aria suffer. He wanted to take her heart and spill whatever tiny bit of love that could possibly exist within its deepest trenches, and pour it into a chalice, drink it, and spit it into a whirlpool of despair. He wanted her to feel rejected just to prove a point that he does not look for beauty in a woman. He wanted her to pay for what she had made him do to poor Melody.

"Perhaps my spell is wearing off." Aria said, surprised that Pad could give a response. "Okay, then hear this, Pad; it must be horrible to not be able to think or act for yourself. I am going to remove the spell temporarily-but _only_ to get your honest answer, okay? Nod if you can hear this."

Pad nodded.

Aria removed the spell. "Paddykins..."

"Don't." Pad replied. "Don't call me that."

"Okay. _Pad_. " Aria spoke, the honey in her voice going sour. "Would you rather accept me as your queen and rule with your free will intact, or would you rather remain as a puppet for my bidding and the king of this utopian society forever? I would hate to keep you under a trance. I would like to get to know you better."

"I wanna see you get yours, ya sea witch!" Pad replied. "You're really evil! How could you turn me against Melody like that?! Have ya no _soul_? No _heart_? What's goin' on?"

"So, you would rather your heart belong in the clutches of a sour little witch, hmmm?" Aria hissed angrily. "Very well, I see how it is." She wrenched her hands away from Pad, pushing him against the wall, and stormed off angrily to her throne, where she retrieved a gold trident encrusted in blue jewels and black pearls. She marched on past Pad and out the door, with the look of blood lust in her eye.

Pad was nervous. "What're you planning on doing with that?" he asked, his voice trembling as he already knew what the answer was going to be.

"If I have a rival for your affection," Aria explained. "I must eliminate this rival." she waved her hand to Eddie and Gilbert, who grabbed hold of Pad.

"Ed! Mr. Brown!" Pad cried in horror. "What're you-"

"They can't hear you," Aria added with a snarl. "they're under the spell, just as _you_ were moments ago." she signaled for them to grab Pad and follow her, and she walked down the damp, dark dungeon corridor, her trident poised in her hand.

Pad's heart skipped a beat.


	8. Chapter 8: The Pride of The Sorceress

SPELLBOUND

* NOTE: sorry if I bugged you with music links, I just thought it would make an even cooler tribute to the game, as the songs actually fit here. To : Sorry, but I promise I won't do it again. Just this once.

* * *

Aria wrenched open the dungeon door and walked to Melody and Fiona's holding cell, where Melody had been choking Sting III over a game of Strip Poker where she was winning, but because Sting III had no need for clothes to begin with...

"You!" Melody cried upon seeing Aria, tossing Sting III aside, him hitting Fiona, knocking her back into the wall. "I've been waiting _too_ long for this!" She withdrew her wand.

"It's only been a day or so." Aria corrected. "You haven't even been in here a week and you're complaining?"

"Bread and water..." Melody replied. "Bread and water... it makes me have constipation cramps! Not fun at all!"

"I do not apologize." Aria said, coldly. "I only let you live this long because Pad wanted soooo badly to see your stupid face again."

"Actually, you left her to die." Fiona replied, raising an arm, struggling under Sting III's weight.

"I work alone, Fiona!" Melody whipped her head around, scolding the white priestess. She then turned her head to Aria. "And you," she raised her finger. "If you wanted to be so damn cold, why not take a trip to the North pole?"

Aria repulsed backward. "How DARE you speak that way to a princess, you insignificant little worm!"

"I'll have you know that I come from one of the most powerful lines of wizards in the world-the Farklights! How dare YOU speak to _me_ that way!"

Aria grabbed Melody by the arm and wrenched her out. She closed the cell behind them, locking Fiona and Sting III in. She walked quickly down the hallway, and tossed Melody back into the throne room upon reaching it.

Pad followed suit, being carried by his friends.

"Pad," Aria's voice sweetened. "you will be the witness of this fight! If Malady wins, she's yours. But if _I_ win, you're _mine_."

"_Melody_," Melody corrected. "not _malady_, you Merbitch. And why do you seem so confident that _you're_ going to win? You really don't know who you're dealing with, do you? I'm Melody Farklight, and I'm gonna _**destroy** _you!"

"You're Melody Farklight, and you're going to _be_ destroyed!" Aria stabbed the bottom of her trident's handle into the marble floor, causing a seal of some sort to open. Suddenly, the two of them were encased in a battlefield, Pad and company on the outsides of it. The walls were made of a strong black magic.

* * *

Music that plays: youtube ( watch?v=X-quZfzJsSQ) [Boss theme]

"You'll be sorry you ever crossed me. I'll show you who's boss around here!" Aria said as the fight started.

Aria's usual demeanor changed. She had transformed from a petite, feminine mermaid with human-like legs and a seashell bra made of gold and a dress made of seaweed, and lime green hair to a real mess. She became a grotesque sea monster with seaweed green hair which was an unkempt mess. Her legs transformed into a tail akin to that of a shark's and she levitated in the air. Her trident remained the same, only its energy began to strongly emanate, in the form of purple plasma. She had a tiara that was made of silver, and was in the shape of three conch shells, their points sticking outwards. Her face was distorted, her eyes demonic and warped, her nostrils were flaring, and she had sharp teeth like a shark's.

This contrast was difficult for both Pad and Melody to process. From stunning beauty to hideousness in a span of five seconds. Melody began to slightly tremble, but she didn't allow the fear to hold her back. Pad had become completely repulsed by this creature that floated before them. This-hideous demon that expected _him_ to marry her? No way! He would sooner choose Melody than he'd choose... _that_. Whatever "that" was, anyway.

Aria lunged forward, stabbing her trident at Melody, who jumped to the right and dodged. She checked her pockets to see what she had, but she then remembered that she had, in her stupidity, given her items to Fiona to hold. She decided, _Ha, this battle will be over so quick that I won't need anything! _She, we could say, was having a Melody Farklight Off-Day. She spat out the first spell that came to mind- "**Flanma**!" As you could well imagine as an RPG fan, a fire attack did next to nothing to the hideous aquatic creature.

Now it was Aria's turn. She waved her trident up into the air and spun it like a helicopter propellor. She then cried out "**Fall berg**!" A huge glacier materialized in mid air, homing down on Melody. Melody collapsed to her knees under the weight of the ice cap. She made a quick roll, causing her hat to fall off and get crushed by the ice. This aggitated her greatly.

"I _loved_ that hat!" Melody cried out in rage. She then had an idea. _If she's going to use magical attacks on me, I'll just have to use..._ "**Magic Shell**!" A crystalline barrier formed infront of Melody, protecting her from any further spells.

Pad smiled. He had a good feeling that Melody _could_ beat this witch. Perhaps, just to spite her, he could further help Melody from back here. He raised his arm in the air, and use dhis technique, **Speed Boost**, on Melody, allowing her to be more agaile. A trident stab missed its mark, an dMelody's hamster started to run on its wheel in her mind. She did the math. "Water + Electricity = Mass electrocution! Of course!" Melody spun around , turned her wand at Aria, with a sly smile on her face.

"Good bye, Merbitch!" Melody said, charging up her wand. She then cried out triumphantly, putting all her pride into this one shot, and not to mention, confusing the hell out of Aria, "**Thundarna**!" A massive wave of blue electric waves burst forth from Melody's rod, blasting the bitch to blue blazes. Aria cried out a loud "HOW CAN THIS BE?" and exploded into a flame.

Melody twirled her wand in her hand like a baton, tossed it up into the air, and caught it. She had won. She realized that she could now use the skill "**Thundarnia**."

* * *

Music that plays: youtube (watch?v=DqncSr-VegI) [Anger theme]

Aria gripped her fingernails into the floor. "How could... you beat me?"

Melody retrieved her crushed hat from the melted ice and bent it back into shape. The goggles, however, were broken beyond repair, but thats okay. She could always make Aria buy her a new pair if she doesn't croak at this point.

Eddie and Gilbert snapped out of their trances. Pad wrenched his arms away from their grasps. The wall of dark magic died down and he ran onto the scene.

Pad stood beside Melody. "Melody is mine, I guess."

Aria gasped. "Pad... don't you..." she crawled up to him and grabbed his shoe. "don't you want me?"

Melody wasted no time and stomped on her hand, also hurting Pad's foot. "No! No, no, no, no, no!" She stompe dit several more times, hurting Pad again in the process. "Don't you know when to quit? Geez Louise! You're more annoying than Mr. Evans, and that's saying a lot!"

Aria stood up again. "He will be my king! I don't give up this easily!" She stabbed her finger onto Melody's nose. "You-! I curse the very steps you take! The air you breathe! I curse you! Curse yoooooooouuuuu!"

Melody laughed. "Just give us the dungeon keys so we can get Fiona out. You do what you will with that annoying guy."

Eddie and Gilbert returned quickly with Fiona. "We had them, it doesn't matter." Gilbert revealed.

"Melody, are you okay?" Fiona asked nervously.

"I'm fine." Melody replied. "Fine and dandy."

"Always tryin' ta be tough." Pad frowned.

"Oh, look who's talking!" Melody squealed back. "You're the King of 'Tryin' ta act tough'! Sheesh! Always so judgemental!"

"Always so defensive!" Pad exclaimed. "Ya need to chill out, 'cause I think you're overheatin'! I mean, ya melted that ice cap before..."

"With the spell I used!" Melody responded, aggitated. "God, why don't you listen for once, you jerk?!"

"I listen," Pad said. "but yer fight was just so slow an' you only were able to dodge that last attack of hers 'cause I assisted ya!"

"No, I did it with my own skill!" Melody denied with pride.

"Yeah, sayin' one measly word is skillful." Pad doubted.

"A magic word, you dunce!"

"Whatever."

"Not, 'Whatever', you nuisance!"

"See? That one word made you mad! I guess that's _my_ magic skill. T'make ya go crazy in half a second."

Everyone looked away as they knew what was coming.

-SLAP!-

"Owww..." Pad groaned, rubbing his cheek. "Y'know, I just might take up that offer o' hers..."


	9. Chapter 9: A Fitting Epilogue

SPELLBOUND

Aria spoke apologetically. "I'm sorry for all the trouble, really. I- I didn't realize how selfish I'd been towards all of you. Can you ever forgive me?"

Melody raised her hand to say something and Fiona pushed her hand down softly. Upon this, Melody looked into Fiona's eyes, which were telling Melody "No, Melody. Just relax, okay?" Melody simmered down and crossed her arms, pouting.

"Sure, why not?" Eddie stated. "Grudges are useless to hold."

"Too heavy." Gilbert added in.

Aria giggled. "That's nice to hear." She walked over to Melody, who uncrossed her arms and had her hand ready to draw her rod, and she stuck out her hand, offering a handshake. "Peace, _Melody_?"

Melody was taken back by this gesture, and turned her head to the side and shook her hand. _Ewww, so slimy!_ She thought.

"Guards," Aria called out. "I'd like you to show them the way out of the kingdom! And when you're done, release Sting III from the holding cell and tell him I have an apology to give."

"Yes, ma'am!" One called out, doing a naval salute. "Come, you people." He said to the group opening the door, gesturing towards it.

The group walked towards the door, and Pad was last.

"Paddyk- Pad..." Aria called after him.

"Don't start. I don't wanna hear your wishy-washy pleadin'!" Pad turned around and said.

"It's not that..." Aria twiddled her fingers. "It's that... I think I lost attraction for you somewhere in the last hour..."

"Hallelujah!" Pad called out into the sky, leaving the throne room and a confused Aria to weep in heartbrokenness.

"Pad..."

* * *

The group had swam through the water, which no longer looked like pea soup, but was now crystal clear.

"Thank you for the escort!" Eddie thanked the guards politely.

"You're welcome!" One called back. "I know the princess would say this if she was here, but; 'You're welcome to come back anytime!'''

"Err..." Fiona stammered, looking at the rest of the group, and they all shook their heads.

"Oh." The guards said, and they swam back into the pond.

"Well, I'm never goin' fishing again!" Pad concluded. "Ya never know when some lovesick, power-desperate mermaid's gonna grab ya! I guess that's the moral of our story."

"I think the moral is that you should always be true to the one you love, even until the end..." Fiona said, looking at Melody. "Right, Melody?"

Melody's face turned bright red. "Yeah, okay... whatever..."

"Well, kiddies," Gilbert exclaimed. "this must've been one heck of an adventure, but... can someone tell me what was going on? I was dazed the whole time."

The group began to laugh. Not so much out of humour, but out of the fact that they were exhausted.

"Well, let's go to the inn and rest!" Eddie called out. "We still have a week left of vacation!"

The group left after Eddie, but Pad and Melody stayed behind.

"So..." Pad said. "Ya were reckless enough ta come in after me, Fiona said."

"..."

"Thanks."

"!"

"It shows, ya know..."

"What shows, pig?"

"It shows that no matter what front ya have, you're actually a caring person."

Melody blushed and pulled her hat's rim down to hide her face.

Pad pulled it up and stuck a kiss on Melody. Melody was caught off guard, but decided not to yell in protest. _Hell, I think this is the least he should give me,_ she thought, _after all the hell I've just been through..._

She clasped her arms around the back of his neck, when a voice called out "THERE'S THE WITCH!"

She whipped around and noticed the angry mob and priests. Pad made up an excuse quick. "Yo, we're shootin' a movie here, do ya mind? It's a remake o' the show Bewitched! Relax!"

The mob calmed down and walked away. Melody wiped her forehead in relief.

"Now, where were we?" Pad asked. "Oh, yeah." They resumed where they left off, and the scene moves onto the full moon in the sky.

The moon fabled to affect the attitudes and feelings of people and creatures, as well as the tides.

-THE END-


End file.
